Boston Show
 

Eskimo friends meetup?

I'll be going with friends and they'll be coming straight from a meeeting. But thanks for starting the Boston thread! I'm so excited already!!! :hello2:

Hiya!

I'm not a true blue eskimo friend anymore, since I haven't posted here in what seems like a million years years...however I am going to the Boston show and am absolutely psyched since it's my first time seeing him.
Three years ago(last he was in Boston) I wasn't even allowed into most of his shows because he always played 18+ gigs.

I hope Boston gives him a good crowd. I hope he and I secretly run away into the sunset/rise.


Most of all I hope it's a fantastic show.

Boston Show
 

Just got in from the 12/11 Boston show and need to get to bed, but wanted to post before I did that it was AWESOME. It was the 2nd time I've seen him, the first being when he did a shortened set this summer with Fiona Apple. Damien was HILLARIOUS (um...Death Metal Blower's Daughter?!?) and told some amusing stories, which hopefully someone can recall better than I. The band was incredible, and overall I just had a wonderful time. Can't wait til he's back in this area again!

whaaat? :smiley4:

you've piqued my interest, was this an actual metal rendition of the song? interesting if so..

Yeah it was kind of. It was absolutely hilarious. It seemed part planned but mostly improv and they went pretty nuts with the lights, and Damo whipped out the good ol' electric. I have like an 18 second video of it, but I felt really guilty taping, so it sucks badly. It was so funny though.

Overall I thought the gig was great. Audience was pretty good, appreciative. You could tell there were some hardcore fans. Damo in a great mood, everyone played great, I had a blast.

Lisa sang this solo for someone Brown... who passed it away. It seemed like her heart was breaking as she sang, I think she was crying.
I was crying. It was beautiful.

Swell Season opened real nicely too, except people talked thru their entire set and I swear only five people were listening. Glen's last number Star, Star was lovely, and he made us giggle with his whistling and Willy Wonka impression. Totally charming.

Looking back Damo played a FANTASTIC selection of songs old, new, unreleased. I loved it!

Damo Set list as follows:
-Sand
-The Proffesor
-Face
-Grey Room
-Volcano + 20 minute like...jam session.
-Piano Intro + Accidental Babies (gorgeeeeousss!)
-And then Damien joked about Vyv playing a "song that gets him everytime" or something and she played an amazing cover of..
"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1" by the Flaming Lips.
-Very much funnny, but classic Amie story.
-Amie, ending with.. "brings peace for you and me."
-Another kind of improv tangent...He played with a bunch of effects, it was loud and basically rocked the house.
-Eskimo
-Coconut Skins. (This was one of the best versions I've heard. Tons of energy!)
-Death Metal Version of Blower's Daughter (<3<3<3)
-Me, My Yoke and I.
-The Animals Were Gone
-"Ended" w/ Cold Water. (people cheered soooo loudly for Lisa!)

Encore:
-Lisa's previously described gorgeous solo song.
-Cannonball
-9 Crimes...which led into
-Rootless Tree.

I probably missed some, but...I was kind of absorbed in the music.
=D

rather of had that set than both LA shows...

Lisa's solo was an English folk song (from what Google tells me): "...comes from Northumberland and was made famous by Kathleen Ferrier's unforgettable rendering of it."

You should soon be able to hear/watch Lisa's redention, once YouTube spits it out.

Blow The Wind Southerly

Chorus
Blow the wind southerly
Southerly, southerly
Blow the wind south o'er
The bonnie blue sea.
Blow the wind southerly
Southerly, southerly
Blow bonnie breeze
My true love to me. They told me last night
There were ships in the offing
And I hurried down
To the deep rolling sea
But my eye could not see it
Wherever might be it
The bark that is bearing
My lover to me.

Chorus

Is it not sweet
To hear the breeze singing
As lightly it comes
O'er the deep rolling sea?
But sweeter and endearing
By far 'tis when steering
The bark of my true love
Back safely to me.

WOW. I would have killed to see this show! Death metal version of BD? Oh my - I hope someone taped this!

The show was excellent and Lisa's rendition of Blow The Winds Southerly definitely gave me the chills. You could hear a pin drop in the place.

The death metal Blowers Daughter was pretty funny. I figured he'd been playing it like that recently? Apparently he wasn't. But just a heavy and fast version of the song. A lot of people around me were bummed out by the version. Seems like it was their first time seeing him live or were just waiting for all the O songs. Oh well.

The show was awesome when he was actually singing, but there was quite a bit of sampling and screaming which isn't really what I wanted to see. But Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots was more than enough to make up for it.

Great show last night. Getting out of Boston wasn't...damn Big Dig.

Anyways, what are some good sites to look at when hopefully a recording comes out? I know all the Dave Matthews Band sites, but I'm new to the Damo recording scene.

amazing show... the best concert of my life was damien rice & the frames in boston a few years ago... this one didn't top it but came damn close and is now the second best concert of my life... these guys just blow me away with every note... 9 crimes > rootless tree gave me chills...

I just have to quickly mention that the first three songs of the concert (Sand, the Professor, Face) were THE three songs that I most wanted to hear. It was pretty uncanny.

Then Grey Room, which is one of my favourites from 9, so I was pretty much floored from the start.

My friend was able to record a good 2 minutes of the Death Metal Blower's Daughter on her camera and it should be up on YouTube at some point so I'll let you all know when it is!

I was a little disappointed that he didn't play the actual version of it (or BLOWER'S DAUGHTER PART 2! as someone decided to yell every single time it was quiet...Damien's reply was "already know what I'm playing, but thanks anyway.") But it was quite hillarious.

Also, during the little tangent after Amie...people around me were whispering "are we getting abducted by aliens?" It was bizarre and I know longtime fans appreciated his zaniness, but I could tell some people were a little confused. He then proceeded to play all of Eskimo from his knees.

I thought he was excellent.

I was amazed by how quiet the place got during some of the songs, especially that one.

Saw the Boston show last night. Looking forward to hearing some of his most beautiful songs such as Blowers Daughter and Delicate. Imagine my surprise when he plays a joke version Blowers Daughter in death metal style. He later then says "Have you ever heard a more shi**ier version of Blowers Daughter?". No, I had to go home and listen to the CD to clear the atrocity from my mind.

The song Amie also ended with a very long, loud, noise improv of the spaceship sound effects. He must be totally bored with his older material, did not play Delicate.

The back half of the Orpheum was quite noisy with talking from the lobby, don't know why the staff could not keep them quiet (or maybe it was the staff talking). Could not hear much of Damien's dialog. He did say as people were calling out titles, "I have these ear plugs in so can't hear anything, it's basically a one way deal so I'll just play what I want". Nice way to connect with your audience!

So disappointing, way too much "rock band wannabe" and too little of the wonderful contemplative music I came to hear. Will not bother with another show.

Is it within rules to provide an mp3 sample of this?
 

I'll be sharing soon. However, for those that need a quick fix, I'd love to provide a sample.

Daveydave

I am sorry your expectations were not met last night. Sometimes it is better to head to a show expecting nothing, then you won't be disappointed . . . It also sounds like the crowd put a damper on things. I know that is difficult sometimes to separate your overall experience with what the performer is doing on stage. The fact that people and even the staff were talking should not change your opinions on Damien. Neither should his comment, imo. As you may not know, there have been times in the past where Damien has stopped concerts due to people talking in the Crowd (Chicago 2004, I think, comes to mind). His in-ear monitors help him hear his band and insulate him from these talkers. I do not think that has a direct connection to his relationship with the audience; his comment should be taken with a grain of salt.

And while I was not at the Boston show, I wanted to say that it sounds just like a show I would enjoy. I do not feel he is being a "wannabee" at all when he decides to change things up and even fuzz out some songs. It is actually a breath of fresh air to my ears as it shows he is willing to open his music up and take some chances. I don't think it is necessarily boredom but rather a reinterpretation (have you ever listened to live Dylan and hear how he changes his standards?). I have seen a few Amies in the past where I have just been sucked in with the feedback (Bonnaroo 2004 and I think the Odeon in Cleveland are two examples). Maybe it comes from my background listening to improv-based music . . .

Last night was the first time I have been able to see Damien live and I absolutely loved it. I think if he played every song exactly the way he recorded them it would have been boring. When I see a show and the artist just plays the song straight through I usually think to myself, "I could have saved the money I spent on this ticket and just listened to the album."

I think that as artists play and replay the same songs every night they discover little nuances to them that they may not have noticed or allowed to develop as much as they would have liked when they wrote them. Damien obviously is tapping into that by making some of the songs a little more aggressive. It's always been there though.

But yes, the death metal version of The Blower's Daughter was ****....but at least he acknowledged it!

Get a grip cry babies
 

First off, as a fan from forever back, as many of us are, it's tough for me to see Damien getting so big and people not appreciating his inimitable artistry on-stage. It’s pretty clear-cut: if you want to hear the beautiful sounds from “O” and the new release, then stay home and listen to the disc. If you want a singer/songwriter who transcends the genre with his textured, multi-layered, unpredictable and FUN shows – then go see Damien Rice.

Is he sick of playing the older songs? Probably – but I think that he threw in a healthy sampling of songs: “Face,” “Amie,” “Eskimo,” “Cold Water,” “Cannonball.” So he didn’t play “Delicate” or a true-to-the-recording version of “The Blower’s Daughter” - waaaah! Good job of going home and listening to the CD – because that’s what you should’ve done in the first place.

As for “Blower’s Daughter,” I have no idea what Damo thinks, but I am pretty tired of it right now. It’s the overplayed song that everyone latched onto when they finally discovered him, it showed up in movies and television shows…and while I appreciate the fact everyone has their favorite song and wants to hear it, but last night, the whiny girls screaming – no squealing, “play the real version,” were ridiculous. I had a girl sitting behind me, who after the excellent and gut busting “death metal” version, was praying, literally “Please play “Blower’s Daughter” – please, please, please God, please.” Seven more songs I had to listen to this whiny chick go off. That’s ruining MY concert experience.

So to Steamed Eskimo – lighten up – it’s a show, and Damien puts on the best around. He’s no "rock band wannabe" – and I implore you to listen to the song “Childish” if you want his opinion on the singer songwriters who take themselves oh so seriously in their music, and what he thinks of it. I suggest Ray LaMontagne or Ryan Adams (both of whom I love) – if that’s what you’re into. Until then, enjoy “O” and “9” on your home stereo, I-Pod or whatever else will keep you from complaining; and stay away from the live shows if they “steam” you so.

I too am sorry that you didn't enjoy your experience, but you have to expect going into a live show that things won't be exactly the same as on the CD (personally I think that'd be boring).

As for the talking in the lobby, that's the way the Orpheum is set up--the back half of the orchestra section has the balcony/mezzanine lobby right above it, and it's open. People stand out in the lobby and drink, talk, etc. because they can't do that in the actual theater. I admit that it's incredibly annoying but that's the theater's fault, not Damo's.

I may be mistaken but it did sound to me as though he was quasi-playing the opening chords of Delicate when someone yelled out "BLOWER'S DAUGHTER!" which was when he asked if we wanted to hear the Death Metal version, and people cheered. So maybe you should blame those people that he "didn't connect with" for the fact that you didn't get to hear a song you wanted.

Damien and the band did play several beautiful songs (Accidental Babies, 9 Crimes, and the piano version of Rootless Tree were absolutely gorgeous, not to mention Amie, Cannonball, Cold Water, The Professor...I could go on and on...) So just because he didn't play the typical version of TBD doesn't mean he didn't play some incredibly moving music. He had fun changing things up, and I enjoyed not knowing what was coming next. I'm sorry that you didn't like the spontaneity of it all.

just have to comment quickly... i was sitting directly below the open gap and was not bothered by chatter from above for the most part... i was way too focused on the band to hear the nonsense above... as for wanting damo to play the songs exactly as they are on the albums, that's so boring... i absolutely love watching damo experiment with his tunes... it's why i go to live shows - to hear the artist take his songs and transform them into something unique for the audience... i would not have changed a thing from last night... it was perfect and mind-blowing as the band always is when performing live... when going to a show, keep an open mind... the artist has more to share with you than exactly what's on the album and that's what keeps me attending damo's shows... he is able to go above and beyond what i could ever dream up as alterations to his songs...

Death Metal Blower's Daughter
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbCK2pNBJAo

The audio is pretty terrible because it was a little too hardcore for the tiny camera mic to handle...but you can get a general idea of what it sounded like.

^^^ holy cow!!

Here's a full audio sample of the Death Metal version of Blowers Daughter until I have time to release the entire show (I need time to go over Damien Rice's policy) in Lossless via torrent.

http://download.yousendit.com/1518CF3841598475


BTW - I'm kind of new here. What torrent site is generally considered the best / most appropriate for Damien's material?

Enjoy!

dave
daveydave

i've tried a few times to get into the torrent scene and have had shows, but I am completely dumb when it comes to that kind of stuff. Does anybody know a site that describes how to handle these and other things like that so I can listen to these? And thanks Davey for posting and look forward to future post.

Personally, I prefer dimeadozen.org for its incredible variety, especially for jazz. (I have found John Martyn shows there as well.) I am also partial to bt.etree.org for its focus on more of the "jamband" scene. (The recent 12.08 show has already been grabbed 209 times and currently has 38 seeders.)

http://wiki.etree.org/index.php?page=BitTorrent
http://dessent.net/btfaq/
http://support.bittorrent.com/cgi-bi...er/std_alp.php

Good news!
 

It is allowed, as of Jan 2004 (http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-band-showall.php)

Seems there are already some shows listed on this site (http://bt.etree.org/?search=damien+rice&cat=0)

Hope to see it soon. Great work on it.

oh, here are some pics
 

I know, I'm a dork, but still, Lisa and Vyv were so nice, humble and very in awe of the pack of "groupies" that were waiting for them. I missed TomO and Damien ducked out the back door and hitched a ride to New York and left the rest of the band behind. Oh well. Still, Vyv and Lisa are amazing as well. I may copy over my small blog entry about the show but most of you were there and you all know what happened. Having seen him before there were parts of the show I cna to expect, like with Amie and the "Sonic Wave" and such, he's done it before and keeps adding to it. It's a show, kids, stop whining. This is one reason why I looked forward to this show, he not only plays the songs but he "performs" as well. That's all from me, for now.

i wish i had a flac converter...
thats the only thing that keeps me out the trading scene.

Boston Globe Review
 

"Heartthrob Rice doesn't generate much heat
By James Reed, Globe Staff | December 13, 2006

Damien Rice would be so nice to come home to. A scruffy Irishman clad in a brown corduroy jacket with a clutch of sensitive songs, he's the Dom Perignon of male singer-songwriters who moonlight as heartthrobs. Definitely a notch or two above James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" pandering.

So why, then, was Monday night's show at the Orpheum Theatre so oddly uncompelling?

The elements were in place, starting with an enthusiastic crowd composed of couples canoodling as if they were at a "Sleepless in Seattle" screening.

With longtime singing sidekick Lisa Hannigan backing him up (especially well on "The Professor"), Rice sang and played his guitar beautifully, putting the softest lilt at the end of his notes and knowing exactly when to pause for effect. When he got behind a piano to sing "Accidental Babies," from his new album, "9," it was a marvel of intimacy, enough so that you could almost forgive him for lyrics such as, "And is he dark enough?/ Enough to see your light?"

But several songs dragged on to insufferable lengths. "Amie," a ballad flush with strings on the album "O," morphed into a 10-minute prog-rock jam that spiraled into a spasm of bombast. (Who knew you'd need earplugs at a Damien Rice show?) It was a nice thought to mix it up, but Rice's songs aren't substantive enough to be deconstructed in such a belabored manner. He rebounded with a segue into "Eskimo," as delightful live as on record. If only he could have trimmed the fat from more of his songs.

Rice's one truly inspired moment was to play "The Blower's Daughter," beloved as the tender ballad in the film "Closer," as a death-metal version replete with distorted guitars and feedback. The guys in the audience loved it. The ladies? Not so much. "Play it for real!" came the plaintive cry from a female in the back. He did not. Uh-oh. There went his heartthrob cred."

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/liv...ate_much_heat/

Herald Review
 

And one more for the Boston crew...

"Overcooked Rice difficult to digest
By Christopher Blagg
Wednesday, December 13, 2006

No musician likes to be a slave to audience expectations. But Irish balladeer Damien Rice was a bit too preoccupied with breaking free of his softy tag Monday night at the Orpheum. Sometimes it’s prudent to just stick with what got you there.

Touring in support of his sophomore release, “9,” Rice took as much time fiddling with loops, wah-wah pedals and distortion effects as he did finding the emotional core of his songs. The sold-out crowd may have screamed allegiance at every turn, but it was obvious more than a few fans wanted less edgy posturing and more of the Rice they thought they knew.



The show got off to a pleasant start, with Rice strumming the obscure “Sand” solo. Vocalist Lisa Hannigan joined in soon after to trade verses on the lovely “La Professor and La Fille Danse.” The pair’s vocal interplay and harmonies were outstanding.

Unfortunately, Rice’s need to flex his anger muscles popped up early and often with tunes such as the menacing “Face,” which found the singer screaming into his microphone to the point of distortion. Granted, a set composed entirely of Rice’s quieter tunes would make for a rather sleepy show, but his attempts at mixing things up seemed forced.

Rice’s penchant for morbidity and depressiveness remained, exemplified by the interminable jilted-lover piano ballad “Accidental Babies.” The dreary mood was immediately lightened with cellist Vyvienne Long’s mock-serious interpretation of the Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.”

A silly death-metal version of Rice’s big hit “The Blower’s Daughter” may have been funny for one verse, but he kept up the gag for the entire tune, prompting a woman in the crowd to shout for the singer to “sing it the proper way.”

Perhaps the most poignant moment came on the encore, when Hannigan emerged by herself and sang the mournful traditional ballad “Blow the Winds Southerly.” Rice and the rest of the band returned to finish the show with lovely versions of “Cannonball,” “9 Crimes” and “Rootless Tree.” For Rice, the lesson is clear: Keep it simple, stupid.

Irish cult hero Glen Hansard, the lead singer of the Frames, opened with his new side project, the Swell Season. The talented songwriter’s rakish charm and dynamic presence combined with his band’s autumnal grace were enough to upstage the young upstart headliner."

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musi...ticleid=171713

Naveed,

What type of computer do you use? I'd be willing to help you find the right flac converter for your computer. I'll even write simple instructions for decoding and burning the shows you retrieve. It's extrememely easy once you have gone through the process once.

daveydave

I use xAct on my Mac. And for PCs, FLACFrontend is good, I believe. Both are free and extremely easy to use (drag-and-drop, essentially).

those reporters were harsh... i think they should stick to album reviews... they obviously did no research on damien and knew nothing about him and his disdain for the expected...

I like bt.etree.org because dimeadozen.org has a limited number of members and does not let any new members sign up. Let us know when the show is up and thanks so much for taping!

Monday's Show
 

I thought the show on Monday night in Boston was pretty bad. Wasn't happy with the song choice really, and what was up with those ultra bright halogen lamps they had aimed at the crowd, they literally blinded me.

The halogen lights are common in a lot of concerts these days. Its cool to see everything lighted up..


Personally, this concert was amazing. Yes, it was out of the ordinary but thats exactly what made it so special. Think about the show and his TBD rendition, his communication with the crowd, him playing songs like face and sand, telling stories before a lot of the songs... thats stuff that you would know as special if you were an avid listener of damien. Its not like the didnt play the beautiful stuff too.. accidental babies, grey room, the professor was absolutely breathtaking..
Everyone on these boards knows that a show like that is special..

It was a great show, one of the best concerts ill go to in a long time
Had the opportunity to talk a bit with Vyv, Shane and Lisa after the show too... very very very nice, cultured people

"Unfortunately, Rice’s need to flex his anger muscles popped up early and often with tunes such as the menacing “Face,” which found the singer screaming into his microphone to the point of distortion. Granted, a set composed entirely of Rice’s quieter tunes would make for a rather sleepy show, but his attempts at mixing things up seemed forced. "


****ing moron. it's a distortion mic and intentional. they lose all credibility as a reviewer of live shows right there IMO these idiots need to start taking the show for what it is and quit the "it sucked b/c it didn't sound soft and like the album" mentality.

Hey there, just wondering what exactly was the story everyone keeps mentioning about "Amie?" Please tell...